When most pets die, their passing is noted by the family with great pain and feelings of loss, particularly at those odd daily moments when you expect to see his or her face there to greet you.
An old bozo is a nuisance to almost everybody —except his dog. . . .
In 1942, another well-known American, William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), made note of his dog’s death by publishing a eulogy to his dog, Helen, in his “In the News” column. Helen was a toy dachshund, a breed Hearst greatly favoured, and the powerful newspaperman was clearly devastated by the loss.
Time magazine (5-11-1942) quoted Hearst as writing: “…A boy and his dog are no more inseparable companions than an old fellow and his dog. An old bozo is a nuisance to almost everybody —except his dog. . . .
“She always slept on a big chair in my room and her solicitous gaze followed me to bed at night and was the first thing to greet me when I woke in the morning. Then when I arose she begged for the special distinction of being put in my bed. . . .
A few Americans are in positions where they elevate their mourning to a public level. The Dog Days of Summer featured Governor Percival Baxter of Maine (1876-1969) whose beloved Irish setter died while Baxter was governor. Baxter ordered that the state flag should fly at half-mast in memory of his dog.
Aldous Huxley says: ‘Every dog thinks its master Napoleon, hence the popularity of dogs.’ That is not the strict truth. Every dog adores its master notwithstanding the master’s imperfections of which it is probably acutely aware. . . .
“So as your dog loves you, you come to love your dog. Not because it thinks you are Napoleon, not because YOU think you are Napoleon. Not because you WANT to be Napoleon. But because love creates love, devotion inspires devotion, unselfishness begets unselfishness and self-sacrifice. . . .
“Sigi died in my arms. . . . I will not need a monument to remember him. Instead, I made this chill-out, future chill, electronica track for him with the title:
“Namaste Sigi - dreaming of you — my devoted friend.”